They arrived in Rock Creek, riding slowly, relieved at last to be home. Buck and Sam continued past with Seth’s body slung over his horse and Colter, who was tied securely to his saddle. Even he understood the gravity of the situation to not make any flip remarks to the group of riders gathering in front of Rachel’s house. The small group glanced briefly at him passing by before turning their attention to the rest of the party.

Teaspoon wearily got off his horse and thought to himself that he was getting too old to go chasing through the woods after criminals like he had in his Texas Rangers days. Rachel stepped off the porch to welcome him home before turning her attention to Alexis. Her face was purple and swollen, but it was her eyes that showed the most pain.

“Teaspoon?” Lou called out in a voice filled with fear.

“Someone needs to fetch the doctor,” he said, gratified when Noah took off running down the street.

“Oh mercy,” Rachel cried, finally seeing Jimmy. She had been focused on Alexis, and didn’t notice at first that he was lying on a travois covered with blankets. Only his face was showing, and she never remembered seeing it so pale.

“Get him in the house right now,” she commanded and scanned down the street relieved to see Noah making his way back with the doctor in tow.

Alexis walked down the hall and stopped outside the door, her hand hesitating on the doorknob. She had come up here several times a day since they returned three days ago, but stopped outside, never going in. She couldn’t go in, she just couldn’t bring herself to. As she turned around she ran into Lou.

“Lou,” she said surprised.

“You can go in, Alexis,” she said. “He’s asked for you.”

“I don’t know,” she faltered looking at the door.

“Come on,” Lou said.

Before Alexis knew it, Lou opened the door and pushed her through. Alexis looked at the door and then slowly turned around and looked at the bed. Alexis took in a deep breath when she saw Jimmy lying on the bed. He was pale, wounded, and very ill, but he was alive. She stood, riveted to her spot, and watched as he lay sleeping. The heavy quilts on him made it difficult to see his chest rising and falling with each breath, but there was no mistaking the soft, steady sound that filled the room.

“He’s breathing…”

Alexis scanned the dim room until her eyes fell upon what she sought. Against the wall was a chair, and so she went and sat in it in stead of the one near his bed. Then she buried her head in her hands.

“He’s breathing!” she screamed, a mixture of terror and joy. She had been lying with her head on his chest weeping because Sam had announced Jimmy was dead. Teaspoon, Buck and Sam stood by watching her, feeling and sharing the same grief. Teaspoon had just started toward her, when she suddenly jerked back from the body and screamed.

“Darlin’, I know how much you wish it was true…” he began.

“But it is,” she cried out through her tears. “He’s breathin’, I felt it.”

Sam and Buck gathered closer, wondering if it could be true, but not daring to allow themselves to hope. Alexis grabbed Teaspoon’s hand and placed it on Jimmy’s chest, then waited. After a few seconds, Teaspoon started to grin, then smiled and hugged Alexis. Buck and Sam crowded around to see for themselves.

“But how-“ Buck started to say just as Sam began talking.

“I never actually checked, he was just so still it didn’t seem he was breathin’.”

With the realization he was alive, the others sprang into action. They examined and cleaned the wound as best they could. He had lost a lot of blood and would need to see a doctor soon. So the men set about making a travois while Alexis tightly bound his wound and wrapped him in blankets to keep him warm. When it was finished, they placed him on it, gathered Seth’s body and started back to Rock Creek.

Along the way they retrieved Jake Colter from where they’d tied him up. The journey was excruciatingly slow for a group accustomed to speed, but at last they reached Rock Creek.

The doctor stitched Jimmy’s wound, and did all he could to repair the damage. The rest, he told the others, was up to Jimmy. This gave some comfort to the group because they all knew he was stubborn and a fighter. When he opened his eyes late the following day, they knew, that no matter how long it took, he would be alright.

A small cough penetrated Alexis’s brain and she finally looked up, wiping her eyes. She looked at the bed and saw Jimmy, now awake and looking at her.

“Hey,” he weakly said. She smiled feebly back.

“Drink please?” he asked, nodding his head toward the glass on the table. Alexis lifted his head and brought the glass to his lips. He swallowed, and then nodded he was done.

“Thanks,” he said, and settled back on the pillows. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“How you feelin’?” she asked, finally sitting down in the chair.

“Tired,” he said, “but I’ll be fine. How are you?” As he asked, he slowly raised his hand to her face and the bruises that were beginning to fade.

“I’ve had worse,” she replied. “Doc says I’ll be fine. Jimmy…I’m so sorry.”

“For what?”

“For this,” she said sweeping her hand at him lying on the bed. “Seth shot you all because of me.”

“Seth shot me because he was panicked,” Jimmy replied.

“But still, it was because of me you all were out there.”

“Shhh,” he said, before he began coughing. When the cough subsided he continued, “besides, I feel I should be apologizing to you.”

“What for?”

“I failed you. I promised myself I’d take care of you, and I didn’t.”

“Jimmy, you didn’t do anything wrong. Seth and his brothers, well, they would have done anything to get me. I’m so glad Kid wasn’t badly hurt. Besides, you can’t protect me all the evil in the world. I’m here, you’re here, and you’re gonna get better, you don’t know how happy that makes me.”

“Then why didn’t you come sooner?”

“I don’t know, I wanted to, I just couldn’t. It’s my fault you’re lying here.”

“Don’t start on that again, it ain’t your fault.”

“Alright,” she said, then paused. “Well, I promised Rachel I wouldn’t wear you out, I should go.”

“Please stay,” he said and took hold of her hand. She sat back down and looked at him.

“I was so scared when I thought you were dead,” she said softly, but feeling the need to say what was on her mind. “So many people around me have died lately, I just couldn’t lose another person I lo- I cared about.”

Jimmy smiled at her and tightened his grip on her hand. “I feel the same way,” he said.

Alexis smiled, relieved that she hadn’t gone too far.

“Come here,” he said, pulling her over the bed. Then they sat talking until Jimmy could no longer keep his eyes open. Even in sleep, he refused to let go of Alexis’s hand, and she was quite content to let it be held. When Rachel checked on Jimmy later, Alexis had finally drifted off to sleep as well, leaning up against the headboard.

“Alright you guys,” Jimmy growled walking back and sitting on the porch. It had been several weeks since they’d come back to Rock Creek, and they had been the longest weeks of his life, he was certain of it. The doctor had ordered him to remain in bed, for several weeks to allow the wound to heal. Jimmy, true to his nature, had fought it the entire way. But Rachel, combined with Teaspoon and Alexis refused to let him out until the doctor allowed it.

Now that he’d been released from bed rest, he was determined to get back to work. Teaspoon, however, refused to let him get anywhere near the horses, let alone think about scheduling him for a run. As he sat back down on the porch after Rachel and Alexis scolded him for starting to walk towards the corral, he grumbled under his breath.

“Quit your belly-achin’,” Alexis teased him. “You know there’s no way Teaspoon or Rachel will let you go riding. And you do know that the only reason the doctor let you get out of bed is because the rest of us begged him to put us out of our misery. Your constant complaining was driving us nuts.”

“You’re one to talk,” he grumped at her. “When you first got here, you didn’t stay in bed two whole days.”

“Yes, well, I wasn’t recovering from a gunshot to the side.”

Jimmy folded his arms and pretended to be very indignant about the whole situation. Alexis laughed, but sat down beside him and took his hand in hers. Jimmy softened and then smiled at her.

“At least I’ve got a beautiful lady to nurse me back to health,” he said, before giving her a quick kiss.

“Flattery still won’t get you back on a horse, though if you’re lucky it may earn you a picnic. If the doctor gives his approval, tomorrow we could hitch up the buckboard and go for a short ride.”

“At last,” he said. “I’m dying to get out of here.”

The following day when the picnic was over, Jimmy and Alexis sat beside each other on the blanket and leaned against a tree. The silence between them was companionable, since it was a welcome change from the bustle of the station and town. After a while, however, Jimmy sensed something more than the change of scenery was causing Alexis’s silence.

“What are you thinking?” Jimmy asked nudging her out of her thoughts.

“I have to go back to Fox Creek.”

“Why? I thought you were happy here.”

“I am Jimmy, happier than I’ve been in a long time. I’ve got to take care of my house, and my father’s. I have to close and settle that part of my life there before I can really move on.”

“I could go with you,” he offered.

“Thank you Jimmy, but this is something I need to do on my own. Besides, by the time you’re healthy enough to ride Teaspoon’s not gonna let you do anything but your job.”

“Promise you’ll hurry back, and take care of yourself?”

“I will, on both. Don’t worry though, there aren’t any more Dawes brothers left to hurt me, and the town I think will be relieved they’re gone. They weren’t very popular, but people were afraid of them.”

“I’m glad,” he said moving closer and putting his arm around her.

“After just finding you, I don’t want to lose you.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back very soon.”

The day Alexis left was a tough day for Jimmy and Teaspoon. Both had their own reason for not wanting her to go.

“Now take care of yourself, you hear?” Teaspoon asked her trying to cover his feelings with a gruff voice. “I’d still like it better if you’d wait ‘til I could go with you, or even Hickok here.”

Alexis laughed and hugged him tightly. “I’ll be fine Teaspoon, I promise. And I’ll be back before you know it. Besides, it’s not just your handsome face I’m wanting to get back to.”

Teaspoon nodded and then stepped back so the others could say good-bye. Jesse was the first one to come up to her.

“Bye,” he said kind-of looking down at his feet.

“Bye, Jesse,” she said as she gave him a warm hug. “I’m sorry I wasn’t real friendly with you at first.”

“That’s alright,” he said shooting a glance at Jimmy. “Sometimes I ask too many questions.”

“Take care, Jesse,” she said and then leaned in close to share a conspiratorial whisper with him. “And even though Teaspoon seems like he’s full of hot air, sometimes there’s something good worth listening to.”

Jesse laughed and then gave her another hug before moving off.

She turned to Cody, Noah and Buck standing in a small group. “Thank you for all your help. I owe you so much.”

“Well, we’ve been thinking about that,” Buck said.

“And we all agreed,” Cody began.

“That a kiss should cover it,” Noah completed.

Alexis laughed at their rehearsed speech and gladly gave each of them hugs and kisses. They glanced at Jimmy, but surprisingly he said nothing to them just looked at Alexis with a smile.

“Hey,” Lou said as Alexis walked toward her and Kid. “Are you sure you can’t wait to do this?”

“Yeah, Lou, I really need to take care of this. But don’t worry, I’ll be back in time for your wedding,” she said with a smile. Then turning to Kid she said, “you take care of her.”

“I sure will,” he replied slipping his arm around Lou’s waist. Then he and Lou stepped back as Jimmy walked up. He took her hand in his and laced their fingers together. They didn’t speak until the stage pulled up and the driver said five minutes until they left.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you,” she said smiling back.

“Take care of yourself, and hurry back…home.” Then he leaned in and kissed her softly. She pressed her face into the hollow of his neck and wrapped her arms around him.

“Everyone aboard,” the stage driver yelled.

Jimmy walked her to the stage and helped her up after kissing her again. Everyone gathered around behind him and sang out their good-byes as she waved from her seat. Then the stage lurched and pulled away leaving Rock Creek behind. Jimmy stood alone watching until he could no longer see the stage.

“Be safe Alexis, and hurry back…to me.”